Jessica’s Graduation

05/21/2013

A post from the Mom of the Singers-

What a pleasure it is to post about this!Jessica, our eldest daughter, is now a high school graduate from our home school.

Jessica participated in our local home school group’s high school graduation ceremony which consisted of 5 other graduates, cap, gown, and tassel, a commencement speaker (local Judge), speech from each graduate, and finally the diploma presentation by each set of parents.

What a wonderful God blessed experience for our family! A first, and two more to come, Lord willing.

Here is Jessica’s speech:

Good afternoon!

My name is Jessica Boyer, and I am so happy to be able to stand before you all today to joyfully proclaim that as soon as this tassel is turned, I can be called a home school graduate; and one who is truly delighted to be here with my fellow peers to represent the C.H.H.E.W graduates of 2013!

It is an exciting, yet daunting thing for me to even say that I am now a graduate – I have completed twelve years of my formal education, and yet it has not been by my own or my parents doing! It has been the wondrous work of our Loving Heavenly Father that has brought us, me, to this point in my life. Soli Deo Gloria! – To God be the Glory!!! Because of Him my life of academic study is behind me now, and I am moving onto other greater adventures! What will I pursue next? That has been a High School-long question of mine, and it has been a difficult question to answer until just a few months ago.

This question like many others, is constantly solved in our home by our family motto which goes like this: To what end? And since the beginning of High School, we faced this predicament, not fully knowing how to deal with it, but understanding that the answer must lie within the context of glorifying God and enjoying Him forever.

I remember sitting in our school room when but the tender age of 10, pondering what I would be when I grew up? Even just growing up into a young woman is hard this day and age! From the world’s point of view, girls are expected to grow up into women who will go out and achieve great things; we are expected to gain a successful career so that we can live a good secular life filled with our own self centered pleasures. But even when I was young, I knew instinctively that this was not what I was going to be. And thanks to my parents guidance, I grew to understand that I was not made, nor created, for that kind of life. Thus, ahead of me in my mind, I saw the daunting years of High School, and next came the big question mark – college? To what end?

As the years progressed, I did end up finding myself desiring to look into having my own small business geared around the skills and talents that I was exploiting daily. The idea of creating my own businesses was a part of the the vision that Dad and Mom had been building for me – and eventually my two younger sisters – over the first few teen years of my life. So instead of seeking the professional life of the Modern woman, we girls were given a different course to tread down, and seek out for the glory of God. Time and time again we had discussions around what God’s plan is for young women. We especially searched in the passage of Proverbs 31 which speaks specifically of the duties of a woman to her house, and to her husband. We couldn’t help but see that it is not the role of the woman to provide for her house, nor is it her place to rule her house.

However, from our readings we understood that it is good for a woman of God to seek work, but only work that which is profitable for her household and not for herself; in other words she is supposed to help her husband fulfill his calling by helping him enhance and care for his household so that he might be able to work in the areas that he as a man is called to– to fulfill in Christ’s name. But how could I really fulfill the calling of a young woman? I watched a handful of daughters from across the country who have engaged their talents in helping with their father’s life mission, or else his own business, and even though I could become an entrepreneur, I still desired to be with my father. But how could I help him whenever he worked for a company? So I prayed, and asked that The Lord would open up a door.

That prayer left my lips several years ago. And as time went on, I began to think that perhaps it went unheeded; perhaps it wasn’t God’s plan. But. Just a few months ago, my father was given the opportunity, by our gracious Heavenly Father, to start up his own company!! And because of this wonderful provision, doors have been opened up for me to help my father with his business, and at last, I can now fulfill my calling as a young woman by giving aid to my present earthly head, and in so doing, I have been able to answer the question, “What am I going to do with my life after High School?” And even better, I am free at heart knowing that I continue to live to the end of Glorifying God, and enjoying Him forever in the calling that he has bestowed upon me!! And I again say, Soli Deo Gloria! To God be the Glory!!!

And thank you, Dad and Mom, for cherishing me, your first borne, and very imperfect daughter! Thank you for showing me how much you love me by the hard decisions that you did not shrug off and let fly to the wind, thank you for installing in my heart a profound awe for my Heavenly Father, through whom all of this has come! Dad, thank you for tying my heart strings up into yours, and for caring for all of my cares, for all of my hopes and dreams in the most tender and satisfying way! You have been to me what no other father could be! And even though I was not given to you and Mom as a perfect sinless child, He certainly saw fit to bring our lives together and make them fit into His perfect story. Thank you Mom for being a mother in a million to me and the girls! Thank you for taking on the taxing job of teaching a very negligent daughter, and for obeying God’s voice constantly throughout the years of my home Schooled life; for teaching me the ways of a virtuous woman, and for being the fun loving Mom that you are! No one could ever replace in my heart all that you have done for me, and I praise God for giving you the strength and perseverance to lead me up to this amazing point in my young life! I love you both so much! God bless you for blessing me!!!

Thank you!

Here is Clancy’s speech to Jessica:

JESSICA, this is a very special time for me and your mother. We get to see you achieve yet another milestone in your life. And just like learning to talk, and walk, this milestone is not an end in itself, but merely a gateway to a fuller life. And it is this idea that we call LIFE that I want to address today.

I carry with me a valuable life-memory that I would like to not only share with you, but to give to you as well.

When you were about three months old I walked into your nursery and watched you sleep. It was a quiet, tender moment. I stood there and watched your little body move with every breath. While looking upon you and pondering YOU, the Lord laid upon my heart a truth that is as ancient as man: I, your father, have a great responsibility in raising you up to be a God-fearing young lady. But the object of my responsibility did not rest with just you. For, Lord willing, coming from you will be other generations, and the responsibility that I have towards you is covenantally your children’s and their children’s children. What an amazing thought! What an amazing responsibility and privilege! I have a responsibility for your grand-children. And to be clear, that responsibility is to ensure that you understand LIFE. And not only that you understand LIFE, but also that I excite in you a desire to choose LIFE.

In Deuteronomy 30.11-20, the Scriptures teach us regarding LIFE.

Hear the word of our LORD:

“For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off.

It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’

Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’

But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.

“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

Thus says the word of our LORD.

As the Scripture teaches us, my goal has alway been, and remains, to instruct you, by the blessing of our Lord: To love God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgements to the end that you may live and multiply, as His Word promises.

Your diploma states that you have “completed a Life Preparatory Course of Study.” Perhaps it should be stated: A Choose Life Preparatory Course of Study. All of your learning, all the reading, writing, arithmetic, science, and history has been geared to increase your love for God. For if you do not love God then nothing else matters. Without a love for God the course that you will find yourself on will be nothing less than a fools errand.

I know that you love our LORD. And that knowledge provides a tremendous amount of comfort to your mother and me. But beware the snares of this world. And always choose LIFE. For the choice is not something that happens as a single moment in time, but it is something that we have to keep doing–daily.

As you know, we have our favorite family motto: To What End? The ultimate answer to that question is: to the glory of God. However, sometimes the warp and woof of life doesn’t allow us to always think big thoughts like “God’s glory”. But remain vigilant, and when life smacks you, let the love of God, that is, LIFE, be your response.

Jessica, just as Solomon prayed for wisdom rather than riches, you likewise pray that you will always choose Life. Having done so, your children will rise up and call you blessed, and your husband also, he will praise you.

Remember...

We enjoy your comments so much! But please, if you don't have anything nice to say, refrain from expressing it on our blog. Boyer Sisters is a judgement-free zone, and we welcome all community engagement that comes from a place of love, rather than fear. Thanks for taking the time to comment! :)

I assume Charlotte is wearing a crinoline to get that lovely full look to the dress. Did she make it? If so what pattern? If she bought it where did she get it and how full does a dress need to be to wear one. I love that fifties look!

Hey, gal! We're Charlotte + Jessica, the Boyer Sisters. Around here, we present a raw, vibrant perspective on what it means to be a creative gal after God’s own heart. We believe in the breath-taking freedom that is found by putting Christ first in our lives and letting everything else follow.